2017 Summer Bloopers

Chase's picture made the Richmond Times! This was from the Chesterfield County Fair magic show. 

Chase got to ride Alpengeist for the first time this summer (rollercoaster at Busch Gardens that has a snow ski theme)

On top of the Hatteras Lighthouse on our 16th wedding anniversary

My silly Gabe

Enjoying the waves in OBX. Rock on!

Gabe, Bella, and Chase in Auntie Laurie's pool; we were celebrating all of the summer birthdays 

Made in the USA!

Probably one of my favorite pics from summer with Tim's family in Snowshoe, WV over the 4th of July holiday

Gabe, Jaycee and Chase enjoying the pool at Smithfield Swim Club; we were celebrating Tim's birthday (and mine) with his family

These two can conquer the world! They can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens them. (Phil 4:13)

Instead of one of my traditional blog postings, I figured it would be more fun to just note the summer mishaps, but with a positive spin. We live in a world with enough negativity so I always say we should make lemonade out of the lemons life throws at us. I hope you enjoy reading the following bloopers as much as I enjoyed living them.

• Crappy Summer Part 3: I'll forewarn you that this first blooper is gross, but I still find it hilarious. For some crazy reason, my kids and my niece think it's an adventure to do #2 in the backyard at my grandmother's house. There are a few logical reasons for this; for one, kids get to playing and having fun outside and don't want to interrupt the momentum by having to run inside when nature calls. Second, my grandmother keeps the bathroom door shut and locked in the house so the little kids can't get in there and decide to have a play date with the toilet; with that said, the older kids don't feel like going through the hassle of having to ask an adult to unlock the door when they're in a rush to take care of business. It started a few summers ago with my niece pooping in the backyard and of course denying it. Chase thought the scenario was hilarious so he did the same thing last summer. Somehow an imaginary stray dog always got blamed even though there are no roaming dogs in my grandmother's neighborhood to my knowledge that have ever jumped the fence to get to the backyard.  The tradition has continued into this summer with someone doing it again, but of course none of the kids fessed up right away. The older kids decided to blame Gabe, but he said there was no way he could have done it because his "products" weren't that big and they were more green in color (the brutal honesty in this situation kills me). We finally narrowed it down to Bella who was already punished enough by stepping in her own poop. Somehow, she's the kid every summer that steps in poop even if she wasn't the one who dealt it. Anyhow, which kid is going to carry on this crappy tradition next summer?
• Our past annual OBX trips have been tainted by a variety of issues: a cooler of ours getting stolen with our whole week's worth of food (this dates back to our camping days), a flat tire, a broken half axle, a hurricane (or two), a tropical storm, and just several days of rain from some other storm systems.This year we faced a different challenge. With all of the construction going on with the new Bonner Bridge, the construction workers accidentally drove a steel casing through the transmission cables that connect power from Nags Head to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Sooo, the southern OBX islands had no power while we were there. Unfortunately, the damaged cables weren't a quick fix and the power outage occurred for several days (it ended up being a full week), so we decided to cut short our vacation. We toughed out one hot, sticky night in our motel but still got in some beach time. The day after we left a mandatory evacuation was in place for all Hatteras Island visitors so we made the right call by leaving early. Sometimes we just have to laugh at the OBX curse that seems to strike us every year during our vacation. However, God blessed Tim and me with a gorgeous 16th anniversary trip at the beach at the end of August...the pirate cursed is finally broken!
• Gabe's life continues to be a musical. This little boy sings all of the time. He was even singing and dancing in the orthodontist office. There's nothing like hearing a 5-year old break it down in a waiting room with, "someone call 911. Shortie fire burning on the dance floor, whoooa!" Or how about being serenaded by, "I beweive I can fwy..." while you're grocery shopping? He also sang "I Believe I Can Fly" while he was jumping at the bounce-house in Williamsburg...very fitting song as he jumped high!
• Going along with the last bullet about the serenading at the orthodontist office, Chase is actually excited to get braces and was bummed out that he didn't get them right away at his first orthodontist appointment. He was equally bummed that he still doesn't need glasses at his recent eye doctor's appointment. Since when are kids excited about braces and glasses? I'm just thankful he can see clearly as braces have already put enough of a dent in our pocket. He gets his upper braces put on at the end of September and already has the expanders in place. So far, he has handled his expanders like a champ. 
• There's nothing better than relaxing poolside with your arms up over your head all to realize you forgot to shave one of your armpits. Yep, that happened to me. Amazon Lady!
• Although we thankfully haven't had a busy hurricane season on the east coast so far (and we're praying Irma stays away), I have a tornado that hits my home several times a day: Gabriel Lee Breeden! I've given up on trying to keep the boys' toys organized. Right now, I'm lucky if I can just keep them off the floor. For instance, I used to keep each Lego set in specific box or zip-lock bag, but Gabe keeps integrating Legos with everything else so I've let go of some of that Type A behavior of mine. Tim was sweet enough to surprise me one morning while I worked by having the boys organize their toys downstairs and purge the ones they no longer wanted. This was a step in the right direction since toys have taken over nearly every room of the house. I had the boys do the same thing the following weekend with the toys upstairs so we're slowly but surely making progress.
• Chase is addicted to watching screaming goat videos on YouTube. I don't know what's funnier: the screaming goats or hearing Chase roar with laughter watching them. 
• I've been lecturing Gabe on how he needs to stop whining about brushing his teeth and do a thorough job or else his teeth will fall out. As he discovered his first loose tooth this month, he freaked out and started crying and ran to me saying, "I don't want to lose all of my teeth. I'll do a better job brushing." 
• I more or less scared Gabe out of looking outside at all during the day of the solar eclipse with all of the warnings about how staring at the sun for too long can damage your eyes. He said, "I just wish this day was over," the day before the eclipse. Better to be safe than sorry. 
• Chase is interested in magic tricks and optical illusions. He even got to be a part of a magic show at the Chesterfield County Fair and his picture made the Richmond Times newspaper! His little brother has already figured out a few of his tricks and called him out on them, but Chase is still determined that he is a good magician.
• After doing yoga and a few cardio classes this summer, I was feeling pretty good about myself....until Gabe pointed at my "abs" (hey, I think I have at least the top two) while we were in line at Water Country and said in disgust, "oooooh." There's nothing more awakening than a child's brutal honesty. Of course I took the high road and told Gabe that he was the reason my belly wasn't a washboard. 
• Last but not least, for some unknown reason, the boys started referring to their rear orifice as "Tina." I have no idea where they got the name "Tina" and why they have linked it to their "bung-hole." They also sing some made up song that goes, "Tina, weena, Tina..."

The bloopers of our lives go on and on and I know there will be many more as we enter fall and get into the back-to-school groove. We have lots of adjustments and transitions coming with the boys starting a new school tomorrow and a new childcare center for before/after school. I can choose to get all worked up about it like so many other parents do or I can just roll with the punches and trust that God's got this! I'm going with the latter option as we begin exciting fall adventures with a new school, a new childcare center, a new soccer season, etc. I think the key to life is to learn to soak in the new and unplanned-not-so-pleasant moments, to learn to laugh at yourself, and to seek God's face during life's bloopers instead of going the anxious route...that's when you experience true joy and peace! 

Spring to Summer Whirlwind

Happy Father's Day, Tim! Tim pictured with Chase and Gabe by Connor's tree

My little wolves at Great Wolf Lodge

Same picture as above with more muted lighting (couldn't decide which one I liked better)

My neighbor was kind enough to pass along this picture she snapped of a rainbow over our house

Gabriel standing in line for the Grover rollercoaster at Busch Gardens

Chase opening up gifts for his 8th birthday (at Grandma's house)

Just a tad worn out after the Monsters on the Beach show and visiting with Auntie Amber

Not the clearest picture, but I'm sure you can guess which one is Gabriel at his preschool presentation

I posted pictures of snow in my last blog posting and here we are entering the summer season! This blog posting title is more than appropriate because life has felt like a whirlwind with how quickly it seems time is passing. Like it or not, here we are at the official start of summer! Before another season comes and goes, let me share some highlights from the past 3 months. 

Chase and Gabe turned another year older. I know that sounds like such a basic, simple statement, but every year is such a blessing. Chase turned 8 on 4/22 and Gabe turned 5 on 4/21. We had more subdued birthday parties for them this year, but they were still just as special and enjoyable as in past years. Instead of having big parties, we enjoyed spending Easter weekend with Tim’s family and the boys’ real birthday weekend with my family at my grandmother’s house.  We also took the boys to Busch Gardens for the first time this year on Good Friday. The boys also got to see Monsters on the Beach again this year with their cousins (Kenden and Jaycee), so they had plenty of attention and fun attractions surrounding their birthday timeframe. Since then, we’ve been to Busch Gardens two more times and Water Country once, so the boys haven’t had any shortage of fun activities.

The boys completed another school-year at Faith Outreach Education Center (FOEC). Chase had perfect attendance and straight A's the last semester of school. So proud! Gabe is now a preschool graduate! The end of the year preschool presentation at FOEC was adorable. Gabe's class sang a couple of songs and demonstrated all they had learned. Gabe even read a short sentence out loud during the presentation; that's no small feat for a freshly-turned 5 year-old who has overcome a severe speech delay. He will still require speech next school year but we praise God for how far he's come since we first started speech therapy over two years ago.

That brings me to my next big news (well, it's big to the boys and me). After much prayer and consideration, we've decided the boys will go to public school next year at Hardy Elementary in Smithfield. There are several reasons for this decision: 

1. Gabe will still require speech therapy and he already has an education plan (IEP) established through IOW County schools. Since we live in Smithfield, speech is of no extra cost to us (just part of being a tax paying citizen). He absolutely loves his speech teacher and has been seeing her since he was 3 years old. Once he begins Kindergarten in the fall, he will resume speech with the same teacher and speech will be integrated with his other classes at Hardy Elementary as part of his normal school-week. No more having to leave work early to pick him up in Hampton and rush him to speech class in Smithfield twice a week. 
2. As much as I hate to face reality, my mom and grandmother aren't getting any younger and I feel they need a break from taking care of so many grandkids at one time. They will still be watching my younger nieces and nephews as far as I know, so it won't yet be an empty nest for them. However, I still think having two less children will ease some of the workload for them. I still have to iron out the details of where the kids will attend before/after school care, but I have my eyes on a few places/programs.
3. I also feel it's time for us to get more connected in our own community. Even though we've lived in Smithfield since 2002, we're just now starting to get more involved with the community--having kids sort of forced that through sports and other activities. One of the many things that attracted us to Smithfield was the small-town feel of it. Although this little town has grown like crazy since we moved here, it's still not so big that our kids will just be another face in the crowd. I still feel like they will get plenty of one on one attention at their new school. 
4. To go along with my third reason, I think it will be good for the boys to have more diversity and friends to surround them. Although FOEC is an incredible God-loving school with an awesome staff, it is pretty small in size and I remember Chase saying a time or two that he wished he had more friends in his class. Both boys will have plenty of new friends and more activities to dive into in the years to come.

Before I get too far ahead of myself talking about another school-year, let’s enjoy another summer season! The boys are still attending summer camp at FOEC and getting to do lots of fun things throughout the week; they’ve already had field trips to various parks, to the movies, to the bounce house, and to the aquatic center. They also get to do water days at school and many arts and crafts. FOEC also did an end of the year trip to Great Wolf Lodge. Tim, the boys, and I got to stay there overnight and enjoy the water park.  We had so much fun. The only downer was that we had to get up early the following morning to rush the boys to their soccer games. This soccer season dragged out into mid-June due to several rained out games earlier in the season. Chase’s team Orange Crush concluded their season two weeks ago since they lost their tournament game. Orange Crush won a few games, but this season wasn’t quite like last year’s season with the Dolphins taking it all the way to the finals. Same goes for Tim’s team the Pirates; they won a few games, but didn’t go undefeated like they did in the fall season.  However, each season is fun and unique as we get the opportunity to meet new young soccer players and their parents; we also enjoy seeing returning players and getting to reconnect with parents we’ve already met in past seasons.  Tim has definitely found his niche with the 4/5 year-olds and I’m sure he’ll coach again in the fall. He is patient and very good at herding those kittens.

We have lots of exciting things planned for this summer including more trips to Busch Gardens, Water Country, OBX, and Snowshoe, West Virginia. Then of course, there’s Smithfield Swim Club right around the corner from our house too. The boys are now old enough to ride their bikes there (with adult supervision, of course). Gabe still isn’t quite ready for the training wheels to be removed. My hope is that he’ll be able to ride with no training wheels soon and swim in the pool without his swim vest by the end of summer. However, I’m in no hurry for my baby boy to grow up any faster than he already has…be still, my heart. Time, slow down!

Tim and I are still working hard in between all of the fun things we like to do with the boys this time of year. Truth be known, we are big kids at heart and we enjoy all of the summer activities just as much (if not more) as the kids do.  Tim continues to squeeze in as many overtime hours as his schedule will allow. Outside of work and running the kids around, I try to walk a couple days a week with my walking buddy in the neighborhood. I’m proud to say I survived a cardio exercise last week and I’m going to try to stick with it and yoga a couple times a week to stay in shape (preferably not round) this summer. I’m also still attending bible studies on Monday nights with several ladies here in Smithfield—what a blessing it’s been to get to study God’s word and connect with ladies from all walks in life. It’s just the encouragement I need on a Monday beginning a new work-week. You can never have too many prayer warriors in your life!  

Soak up the blessings this summer. Don’t rush time and miss the rainbows (like in the picture) that are in the midst of stormy seasons in life…the sun is still shining behind the clouds to make that rainbow! 

Springing forward from a Whimsical Winter

After several years of saving and looking for the "right one," we finally found this silver jewel. Love this sweet ride!

There is no such thing as a serious selfie with Gabriel.

Enjoying the only big snow we had this winter

Pulling back into the garage after a cooler ride around the block. Gabe wore his mask and carried his sword the whole way around the block.

Straight A's and Perfect Attendance (Gabe with a Spiderman glove on, bat in hand, and Ironman mask on his face...this kid is always imagining something super-hero related)

St Patrick's Day...no denying these boys have some Irish blood in them (Gabe said he was the Incredible Hulk in this picture)

Chase trying out the skates he got for Christmas. The skates were glowing with the black-lights on in the skating rink.

How is your 2017 going so far? If you're like me, winter is your least favorite time of year with colder weather and shorter days. Fortunately, spring is just a couple days away. Furthermore, my goal this year is to find joy in all seasons and I don't just mean the four seasons winter, spring, fall, and summer. I'm talking about finding peace even during those trying moments in life. My prayer for all of you reading this is that you'll share that same goal with me when trials and tribulations come your way (and perhaps they already have this year).

Our family had a glorious Christmas filled with celebrations from all sides of the family. The boys were pleased with all that Santa brought them. Tim and I kicked off the New Year by falling asleep on the couch watching TV....such the party animals, aren't we? We woke up abruptly to the sound of neighbors letting off fireworks at midnight. Don't get too excited; we went right back to sleep without a problem. Although not exciting, I feel like I started off the New Year well by organizing a few cabinets in the house and purging some of the boys' toys that they outgrew. After having over a week off from work I felt ready to go back to work knowing that the house was in better order. 

The first couple months of work this year brought on many challenges and long hours. Tim is still mostly working 10-12-hour workdays and some weekends. I worked a few extra hours myself and had some challenging job assignments. It didn't take long after coming back from Christmas for me to yearn for another vacation. However, I'm thankful for an abundance of work and keep trying to turn any of those anxious feelings that try to creep up into joy. 

Winter wouldn't be winter without snow! We had almost a foot of snow the second week of January. The kids went sledding in the ditch in our backyard and made plenty of snow angels. Even Tim made a snow angel and attempted to go for a ride on our motor cooler (it didn't do so well without traction, but it was a fun attempt). Although the snow was pretty to watch falling, by Day #3 of freezing temperatures the Snow Grinch in me was ready to see it melt. Since then, we've had many ups and downs with the temperatures rising all the way to the 80's and then back down to freezing. The groundhog didn't see his shadow in Hampton Roads, so I guess he's to blame for the shorter, milder winter we had (not that I'm complaining). Everyday is a surprise with the weather around here!  

Speaking of surprises, we haven't had any surprise birthday parties for this year. Last year around this time we had the big surprise party for my grandmother as she turned 90 years old and I'm thankful she made it to 91 this year! So far this year, the family birthday celebrations have been much more subdued. However, we did take Grammie Pam Breeden out to a Japanese restaurant for her birthday. Gabriel did not like the part when the chef lit the fire on the grill. He hid behind the chair, but he finally warmed up to the chef towards the end. 

Gabriel continues to do well in school and his speech is continuously improving. While he loves pan pizza from Pizza Hut and Digiorno's without the "wock-o-woni" (pepperoni), his appetite for learning has also increased. He's starting to get more curious about God and Jesus, which melts my heart. He's having a hard time understanding why we can't see God and angels. I love the many questions he's asking as it gets him closer to understanding the concept of salvation. He has expressed that he loves God and Jesus. As he grows, I'm looking forward to explaining 1 Peter 1:8. Meanwhile, big brother Chase has been reading Bible stories on his own before bedtime on some nights, which also melts my heart.  I'm so in awe that he's choosing to read Bible stories over the many other books he has to read! Chase also made straight A's again on his last report card. God is so good and I love seeing him work through my children--perhaps one of the greatest rewards on this earth! 

A few funny blurbs to wind down this post:

-Gabe calls Kool-Aid "Oh Yeah Juice" (as in how the Kool Aid mascot says "Oh Yeah!")

-Tim test drove a Tahoe and got airborne as we hit a hill going a tad too fast. Praise God, we did end up buying a 2015 Tahoe in March, but it wasn't that one! 

-Chase commented on a Cialis commercial, "Why on earth do those people have bath tubs outside?" Truthfully, even I thought it was a great question. 

-After a routine cleaning with the dentist in Feb, the dentist lectured Gabe on how he needs to stop sucking his thumb. Since then, he has totally stopped sucking his thumb but there was a time or two in between that I caught him sucking his thumb with a blanket over his head thinking I wouldn't see him. 

-Chase practiced with the wrong soccer team for the first practice session this season. He is now with the 8/9 year-old's since he will turn 8 in April. It wasn't a total oversight on our part because there are two teams called Orange Crush, one in the 6/7 bracket and one in the 8/9 bracket. We practiced with the 6/7 year-old's thinking we were with the right team Orange Crush the entire hour. It wasn't until I texted the right coach after practice that we figured out we were with the wrong team. 

Keep finding humor in the simple things in life and remember to seek joy in all circumstances (which can be a constant battle for most of us). Now that we've sprung forward, we'll have a lot of fun things to talk about in the next blog posting: another soccer season beginning (Tim is coaching the Pirates again), the boys turning another year older, birthday and Easter celebrations, longer and warmer days, etc. However, none of these fun things would be possible without all of the blessings God has given us. As we enter the Easter season, I pray we can all reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us on the cross so that we can experience grace and mercy. If you haven't read the book "The Shack" yet, I highly recommend it as it's a creative yet earth shattering perspective on the Trinity and the love God wants us to share with Him and each other. The movie "The Shack" just came out in theaters but I wanted to finish the book first. It's an incredible read and I only have a few more pages to go! 

Perhaps this winter wasn't a good one for you. Just as spring brings us warmer weather and new growth, God can renew us too. So spring forward rather than dwell on the past! 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!"

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:18‬-19 NIV‬‬

Wishing you new, exciting spring adventures!

2016 Christmas Blessings

Posing by the tree before church one December Sunday

Jaycee and Gabriel excited for the broadway musical A Christmas Story to begin

Waiting for the broadway musical A Christmas Story to begin

I love the way Gabe is looking at the dog in this picture...the Bumpuses! 

Posing by the big Christmas tree in our church lobby area

Visiting Santa at Bass Pro Shop

Love my boys!

Can you believe we're already concluding the year 2016? The years go by within a blink of an eye, don't they? We can't slow down time, but we can make an adamant effort to enjoy this holiday season rather than allow the busyness of the season to consume us to the point that we forget the true meaning (JESUS!). 

Since my last post, we enjoyed Thanksgiving. What a wonderful time it was to fellowship with Tim's family. Chase admires Kenden and Gabe loves playing with Jaycee. In fact, perhaps Chase idolizes Kenden a little too much. Let me explain: Kenden wears glasses (as do several of Chase's classmates and other older cousins) and Chase thinks that wearing glasses is cool (in contrast to what I thought as a kid). Chase started complaining of not being able to see well in class so I naturally assumed he might need glasses for being slightly nearsighted. Well, I took him to the eye doc right before Thanksgiving and he had two pair of Raybans picked out within 5 minutes of us arriving at the office. The doctor examined him all to determine that Chase can see perfectly fine. Although I was relieved with the results, Chase was almost in tears that he couldn't get those Raybans. The doctor and staff assured me that they see 2-3 kids a week that end up not needing glasses because many kids think that wearing glasses is a cool ordeal (think about all of the cool frames available now compared to what I had as a kid). Anyhow, we'll get Chase's vision rechecked next summer when vision insurance is renewed just to make sure Raybans aren't in his future. 

We visited Tim's grandparents in Charlottesville the first weekend in December. Both boys were well behaved during the visit and car ride. Chase soaked up all of the doting he received from his great grandmother Lucinda and several other aunts and cousins from that side of the family. We're thankful for every year we get to spend with our loved ones. I'm blessed to say that my children still have both sets of grandparents, 3 great grandmothers and 1 great grandfather (and 1 great step grandfather) alive. 

The same weekend we went to Charlottesville we also got to experience a "Walk through Bethlehem" at First Baptist Church in Hopewell. It was really neat seeing the story of Jesus' birth being told through the perspective of the town of Bethlehem. There were actors dressed up like Bethlehem town vendors, Roman soldiers, Mary, Joseph and of course the star of the show: baby Jesus! There were even real goats, sheep, a donkey and a camel to represent all of the animals that were present for our Savior's birth. 

Of course the month of December wouldn't be complete without Mack Paul Breeden (our Elf on the Shelf) keeping a close eye to ensure the boys are behaving. They've still had their moments of mischief, but you can only raise the bar but so high with a 7-year old and a 4-year old. However, in spite of their mischief at home, they continue to do well in school. I'm amazed at how well Gabe has done with his speech just since my last post. He's also writing his name now, memorizing bible verses in school, citing the alphabet, and writing various numbers and letters. Chase continues to get straight A's. Both boys had their own Christmas presentations at school this year. Gabe was a shepherd boy for his play last Friday and Chase sang in the chorus for the older kids' presentation on Tuesday. Last night we also attended one of the Christmas celebration services at our church with my grandmother. It always warms my heart to sit in church next to a woman who was crucial in exposing me to God's love and the story of Jesus when I was a child.

The boys got to see Santa at Bass Pro Shop after church exactly one week before Christmas. This was the first year Gabe was actually excited to see Santa and of course Chase has been excited to bend Santa's ear for several years now. The boys realized they forgot half of what they wanted to tell Santa as soon as we got home so they wrote a note to Santa with the remainder of their wish lists. I told them to leave their lists on the table so our elf Mack could deliver it to Santa that night. We'll find out soon enough if all of Mack's reports back to Santa have been positive enough for them to get everything on their wish lists. 

Santa is such a fun aspect of Christmas for our family, but certainly not the primary focus. We were also able to give to those who are less fortunate than us this season.  We filled 3 shoeboxes with goodies and practical items for the Samaritan Purse project that delivers shoeboxes and spreads the word of Jesus to children all over the world. We also gave several bags of canned goods to our church pantry and to FOEC so they can disseminate them to several people in our community who are struggling just to have food on the table. My bible study group (called a "Connect Group") collected money to surprise the Smithfield High School staff with doughnuts one morning just as a "thank you" for all that they do for the children in our community. Last but not least, we baked cookies to hand out to our neighbors; we always include an invite to church or Jesus-themed Christmas ornament to share what the holidays mean to us every year. We never know what struggles our very own neighbors could be facing or if they even believe in God so this is such a small way for us to show them we care. 

We got to do something extra special as a treat this year. We went to see the musical "A Christmas Story" at the Children's Theatre in downtown Richmond. Tim's parents, Jaycee and Kenden went with us. The kids were so attentive to the show. Although everyone seemed to enjoy it, Gabe seemed to have the most fun singing and dancing along. He left the theater dancing and singing one of the songs. Make sure you don't shoot your eye or get attacked by killer icicles this Christmas. Ha! Seriously, let's keep our eyes focused on Jesus this Christmas and in 2017 and beyond! May God bless you and yours! 

Falling into Thanksgiving

Gabriel and Jaycee at Kenden's soccer game

Love the big smile on Kenden after his soccer game. His team played Smithfield's home team.

Love this picture of Gabriel on the pier of Titus Creek at Nike Park with the sun setting

Ladybug meets Ironman

How can you not laugh at this?

Trying to get a nice fall picture with the boys is almost impossible....but, this captures their personalities

Second Attempt

Chase as Spiderman, Tim, and Laurie's goldendoodle puppy Gus

October is perhaps the busiest month of the year for our family. We have four birthday kids (eldest to youngest): Emily, Kenden, Bella, and Jaycee. Then there's soccer, school, work, speech classes and don't forget Halloween rearing the month! Needless to say, I'm somewhat relieved we survived the month and are now in November. However, we have happy highlights to share from last month:

• Laurie decided to have a Halloween-themed costume party for Bella's birthday. Most everyone dressed up from the youngest in the family (Charlie) to my 90 year-old grandmother. So much fun! 
• Hurricane Matthew side-swiped the east coast and "gifted" us with its outer rain and wind bands but we kept power and didn't lose any trees in our immediate area. Unfortunately, folks in surrounding areas suffered more severe damage and are still feeling the repercussions today. 
• Soccer, soccer, and more soccer!  We even got to watch Kenden play a game at Nike Park with this travel team. Tim's team (and Gabe's team), the Pirates, wrapped up their season victoriously. Tim stepped down from coaching the 6/7 year-olds to trying his luck with the 4/5 year-olds this season in order to coach Gabe's first season of soccer. He transitioned incredibly well with an undefeated season! Gabe never fully understood the purpose of the game nor did he score any goals, but he at least tried and enjoyed playing.
• Chase did extremely well playing for a new coach after having had Tim coach him for the past 3 seasons. Chase's team made it all the way to the final championship game and played their little hearts out. They didn't win, but they hung close to the other team making it all the way to overtime and a shoot-out. Chase did awesome all season as the team goalie. He blocked countless goals and got to play a little offense in some of the games. After an undefeated season up to the championship game, he was disappointed not to win that final game. He cried along with several other players out of exhaustion and mere disappointment after trying so hard to get that final win, but we're still so proud of how well the Dolphins did! The kids quickly dried their tears as their coach presented them all trophies and individualized awards. Chase got the "Guts and Glory" award since he was known for showing no fear as the keeper and giving forth all of his effort. What an awesome soccer season with the kids, coaches, and parents! Tim and I met so many great people in our community this fall! 
• Gabriel had a field trip to the pumpkin patch with his class.
• Dawn had a pizza party for Emily after church on the 16th. Wow....Em is 15 years old!
• We enjoyed trick or treating in our neighborhood. Gabe was Ironman and Chase was Spiderman. The superheroes racked up a ton of candy! Our neighbors did such a great job decorating this year, which made it so festive! I think we saw almost as many Halloween lights as we do Christmas lights in the neighborhood. 
• Chase got straight A's on his report card!
• Gabriel's speech keeps improving. We can actually understand his bedtime prayers better now. He just recently asked God to heal Grammy Pam Sneed's back and knees and to bring him a dog....the last part of that prayer was very random with him asking God for a dog. I hope he realizes God doesn't work like Santa Claus. 

So here we are in November now. As we're into election month and voted in Trump as our next president, please pray for our country. We could argue all day long over which candidate we voted for and why, or why we're happy or discontent with the one that was elected. However, at the end of the day, we're still one nation and we have to move forward with our current leaders whether we like them or not. To hear folks in our country chant "not my president" towards Trump just makes my blood boil. In 2008 and 2012, I didn't vote for President Obama because I strongly disagreed with his policies (had absolutely nothing to do with skin color just to set that record straight). As much as I would love to see a woman be POTUS someday, I couldn't vote for Hillary Clinton either; once again, I strongly disagreed with her policies. I voted policy, not person! I could go on and on why I voted the way I did, but prefer not to make this a rant. I was disappointed both times Obama was elected, but I still put on my big girl pants, accepted the fact that my candidate didn't win, prayed for President Obama and respected his position. I pray we can all do the same for Trump without insulting each other anymore than we already have. I'm baffled at all of the Facebook wars I've seen over this election. Thankfully, I didn't lose any friends over it, but then again, I'm not one to befriend just anyone. Unlike some people who think the number of "friends" they have on Facebook represents a popularity contest, I choose to limit mine to people that I believe respect me regardless of my views.  Anyhow, I pray President (Elect) Trump will follow through with his policies and help bring unity rather than more division in our country. 

Furthermore, our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are one nation UNDER GOD. Even though our country now contains many people who don't even believe in God (don't forget our forefathers fought to give us those religious freedoms), I still put my hope in the true ruler of the world, my Lord Jesus Christ, more than any worldly leader.  We still have so much to be thankful for in this country. Let's not lose sight of how incredibly blessed we are to live in the USA! 

Beyond Election Day, we have Thanksgiving to celebrate at the end of the month. I always feel as though Thanksgiving doesn't get the attention it deserves as Halloween and Christmas overshadow it. Let's take the time to enjoy this holiday that has yet to be over commercialized. Slow down enough to breathe in some fresh air; listen to leaves crunch under your feet; take in the beautiful colors of fall; be thankful for friends, family, jobs, health, and all the many freedoms we have in this country! Let's count our blessings! Get your gobble wobble on! 

Falling into Autumn

Chase posing by the "Big Ben" clock at Busch Gardens

Gabriel posing too!

Gabriel wanted a picture on the horse (we rode the carousel too)

Did anyone have back to school butterflies?

Before their first soccer game of the season

Chase showing off his skating skills

100% boy...soaking up that last bit of summer

Chase protecting the goal

Although I hated to see the summer end, I have to admit I love almost everything about fall: cooler weather (although we have yet to experience much of that), football season (HTTR....they finally won a game this season!), everything pumpkin spice (I know there are pumpkin spice haters out there too, but let the rest of us enjoy it) colorful leaves, witnessing my children learn new things in school, etc.  

Fortunately, going back to school on September 6th was an easy transition for the boys since they're still attending FOEC. I know not all students and parents had as easy of a transition. I have three nieces starting new phases of school: one starting high school, one starting middle school, and one beginning kindergarten; these have been big changes not only for my nieces but for my sister and sister-in-law. In contrast, the boys and I didn't have any back to school jitters. Chase has most of the same classmates from the first grade and the same teacher (his teacher teaches 1st and 2nd grade since it's such a small school). Gabriel has a new K4 teacher, but has adjusted well to her. He had a harder time over summer break with switching summer camp teachers than he did starting K4. He still has the same teacher at Hardy Elementary for speech class. It was encouraging to hear his speech teacher say that he didn't regress any over the summer. In fact, his speech improved over the summer months! Praise God for every ounce of progress! I'm excited for all of the learning that will occur throughout another school-year.

The busy fall schedule has already sunk in with soccer practices, soccer games, school, speech classes and long work hours. I also started attending a women's bible study on Monday nights and I still serve in the church nursery once a month. Even though all of these activities are positive and I'm glad we get to do them, Tim and I are already yearning for another beach vacation since our anniversary trip Labor Day weekend was cut short due to Tropical Storm Hermine. Nonetheless, we made the most of our vacation even though it ended up being more of a stay-cation. We still had one beautiful beach day to ourselves. Even though we headed home on Friday instead of Sunday, we enjoyed some alone time at home, which allowed us to catch up on some much-needed chores around the house, such as cleaning out the shed and the garage and shampooing the carpet in the main walkways downstairs. Aside from chores, we still got to go out to eat for dinner by ourselves and watch some TV without interruption while the boys stayed at Grammie and Papa Breeden's house through Sunday. Perhaps it was God's plan for us to cut our beach trip short so that we could have more time at home to prepare for our busy fall schedule that began right after Labor Day. 

Furthermore, I try to remind myself that we had such a blessed summer. One little storm isn't enough to dampen our spirits. We haven't always been able to do all of the fun things we got to do during the last three months with Busch Gardens, Water Country, pool visits, beach trips and more. I'm humbled and thankful that we were healthy and able to enjoy the season. I realize other folks I know are going through challenging seasons of life that haven't allowed for those same experiences this year. If you're reading this and you're one of those people, just know that I'm praying for you and I trust in God's perfect plan for all of the seasons in life we experience. 

On a lighter note, I always try to jot down some of the hilarious things the boys say so I won't forget, but I often fall short. But, here's one silly incident that comes to mind: Gabe still wets his bed on some nights. When he woke up wet one morning he told me, "I keep telling the sheets not to get wet but they're not listening." Then there's the story Pam Breeden already shared on Facebook about Chase partaking in communion for the first time at First Baptist in Hopewell. Chase asked Grammie Pam if the bread was plastic because it had a strange texture and was flavorless. There have been several more funny remarks, but too many to recall all at once.

Faith Outreach had a back-to-school skate night last Wednesday. Chase told everyone how great of a skater he was all summer and kept asking us to take him skating so he could show us his skills. He went every Monday during the summer with his summer camp class. We finally got to witness for ourselves that he truly is a great skater. He was flying around the rink going forward and backwards, and even doing the limbo at one point. I couldn't believe how well he did! Even more surprising was the fact that I got out there and skated with Chase and proved to myself that I could still skate forward and backward too and keep up with kids 30 years younger than me....no limbo for me though! Gabriel, on the other hand, skated as though he had two left feet and could hardly stand up on his own. However, I remember Chase being the same way at that age, so I'm not giving up on Gabe; just give him a few years. 

Chase and I had our "show off" moment at the skating rink. Gabe always has his "show off" moments just being the baby of the family. So when does Tim get to show off? Well, Tim had the chance to show us the machine shop that he works at nearly every day. After church last week, he gave the boys and I a tour of Craft. The boys enjoyed looking at all of the huge machines and now they have a better understanding of what their daddy does for a living. Chase told me during the car ride home, "Mom, don't tell dad this because I don't want to hurt his feelings...I like the machines and think they're cool but I don't like the metal shavings and don't think I want to be a machinist when I grow up." 

We're already two games into our soccer season and both of our teams won both games. Tim is very patient coaching the 4-5 year-olds this season. The Pirates showed no mercy during their first game. I lost count of all of the goals but it was around nine! They didn't score as many goals during the second game, but still had enough to win. Gabe didn't score any of the goals but he looked like he enjoyed playing his first couple soccer games and he kept up with the ball. Chase's team is called the Dolphins.  During the first game, they had five goals before it was all said and done and Chase helped assist with two of them during the second half of the game. He played goalie during the first half of both games and didn't allow anyone to score! We're very proud of how well he's been playing! Go Pirates and Dolphins! 

Whether you're cheering on your child's sports team or your fave football team this fall, just remember that God is always our biggest cheerleader. He's always cheering us on during our game of life, even when we're not playing with all of our heart. He never chastises us if we fail; rather, He comforts us with His unconditional love. I pray we can all show that same kind of love towards others during this fall season and beyond. 

Pumpkin spice cheers til next time. 

Fun in the Son

4th of July Backyard Fireworks

Tim showing Gabe how to pull the string on this kid-friendly firework

Just a few of the cards we received for our birthdays on display on the piano (we had more that were on the window sill)

Funny story behind this picture: Gabe didn't like his stuffed animals staring at him while he tried to sleep so he asked Tim to turn them all around facing the wall...ha, ha!

Gabe asleep during a car ride home from summer camp...still wearing the orange (his favorite color) mask he made

Gabe still loves playing in this police car...love it when he shows off those dimples

Chase still loves his old John Deere Gator

Gabe still hasn't mastered the art of pedaling, but we think Santa will still bring him a bigger bike for Christmas

This is Chase simulating the Tahoe getting pulled out of the sand with the Gator and police car, ha, ha!

Orange ice pops are mandatory at the pool for Gabe!

Happy 15th Anniversary to us!

We’re well into the dog days of summer.  Tim and I both had July birthdays making me officially past the midpoint of my thirties and Tim another year closer to forty.  Time flies!  Before we all know it, the kids will be back in school and we’ll welcome fall.  I’ve already gotten all of the kids’ school supplies and soccer gear for the fall season even though I’m not just yet ready to part with summer.  I must say it’s been one of the best summers I’ve had as an adult!  I say, “as an adult,” because childhood summers are hard to beat reflecting on when we were all more tolerant of the heat and had fewer responsibilities.  However, I’ve been reliving many of my childhood memories with my own children this summer and that has been exciting in a different way.  

For instance, we’ve gone to Busch Gardens four times this year and hopefully we can still squeeze in one more visit before the end of the season.  I remember having a season pass as a kid and spending countless days there.  Those were the days before I could even drive when Mom would drop my best friend and me off at the park in the morning and come back to pick us up when the park closed.  I learned the park like the back of my hand.  Fast forward two decades, and I’m getting to walk the same park and ride some of the same rides I rode as a child. Chase is tall enough to ride some of the rollercoasters now so I’ve enjoyed seeing the excitement on his face as he’s ridden many rides that lots of adults won’t even attempt.  Tim and I were even able to squeeze in a date night at the park by ourselves when we could ride all of the “big kid” rides.  Unfortunately, my body can’t handle the rides as well as it could when I was younger, but I don’t let it stop me….pop in a Dramamine and ride on!

Not only has Chase conquered riding his first rollercoasters this summer, but he’s also learned to skate, improved his swimming, and practiced diving and flipping off the diving board at the pool.  Even Gabe rode the Elmo rollercoaster at Busch Gardens and conquered his fear of the water slide at the pool.  Both boys showed no fear at Water Country this summer on the bigger slides too!  Chase even did one of the Vanishing Point slides that entails a vertical drop (even I didn’t try that one….but, I had a good excuse since Gabe was too short to ride that one and I had to wait with him while Tim and Chase were the adventurers). 

Gabe may not be big enough for all of the rollercoasters and slides yet, but he’s catching up to his brother in other ways.  He’ll get to play his first season of soccer this fall with Tim coaching his team called the “Pirates.”  Gabe picked out the team mascot as he loves pirates.  He came up with a song that goes something like, “Ahoy! The pirate in the end…” We have no idea what “the pirate in the end” means, but we’ve heard that song hundreds of times.  Life with Gabe is like living out a musical as he’s always singing about something. 

If you keep up with Tim and me on Facebook, you’ve probably seen our beach pictures by now.  Although we didn’t encounter any “pirate in the end” during our trip, we started off with a little speed bump with the Tahoe’s half axle giving out on us and leaving us stuck in the sand.  I accidentally said a bad word when I heard the sound of the half axle breaking (shame on Mommy!).  Chase didn’t let me forget that I had slipped up and said a bad word and brought it up to me several days later which just goes to show that children are sponges and we have to watch everything we say and do around them.  When we were stuck in the sand, I remember Chase crying and saying, “I don’t want to live on the beach forever.” I had to snap out of that panic mode, which meant go from saying a bad word to being the mom I needed to be to console my children and remind them that everything would be just fine.  Indeed, everything did end up being just fine and we were back in 4WD on the sand with the Tahoe the very next day. 

Several years ago, Tim and I would have allowed something like that to ruin our vacation.  However, after experiencing much greater hardships in our lives, we realize that there’s no need to sweat the small stuff any more.  We have friends who are fighting much bigger battles in life right now, such as stage IV cancer; those bigger battles that are life threatening make car troubles pale in comparison. During those bigger battles, it seems like pity parties are warranted.  Nonetheless, God is always good and faithful to us and He gives us a sense of peace that surpasses all understanding; He uses our struggles to mold us into better people, not to harm us. (Read Philippians 4:7 and Jeremiah 29:11.) As a beach bum, I love the story of footprints in the sand and visualizing the Lord carrying me when I’m weak.  If anyone were to ask me, “what’s the appeal to being a Christian,” my response would be: regardless of what struggles I’ve faced in my life, I’ve always had hope and peace through Jesus (even during those rock bottom moments) that makes life worthwhile and fulfilling.  Plus, God’s love and grace is a gift that I thankfully don’t have to earn. 

While God often strengthens us and gives us grace during our weaker moments in life, we should still sharpen our spiritual and mental tools through reading scripture.  I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always consistent with deep-diving into God’s Word like I should be.  However, one neat thing I did over the past couple of months was read “The Birth Order Book” by Dr. Kevin Leman (Christian author).  I got this book through winning a baby shower game back in April (the book was the prize).  I’ve heard Tim’s family talk about this book several times over the years and I always wanted to read it for myself.  My mother-in-law has always told me I function more as a firstborn than a middle child and she was right.  However, the book also says many times that middleborns are the hardest birth order to pinpoint.  Even though I have many firstborn qualities (reliable, conscientious, a list maker, well organized, etc.), I also have some of the typical middleborn qualities: sociable, friendly, outgoing, takes life in stride, laid-back, easygoing, not competitive, peacemaker, mediator, avoids conflict, etc.  However, I didn’t always have all of these qualities nor do these qualities always work in one’s favor.  For example, I remember being painfully shy during my elementary school years.  My older sister did a lot of the talking for me back then, so I was always the quieter one in the family being sandwiched in between the older, talkative sister and the baby in the family.  As my older sister started to grow up and make friends outside of the family, I was forced to be more independent and started to come out of my shell more.  I also wasn’t born a natural leader like most firstborns; the thought of giving a speech or being in a lead position at work would have given me a heart attack several years ago, but now it’s more instinctive. 

The Birth Order Book also pointed out that middleborns tend to make the most patient spouses due to the fact that they often avoid conflict (Tim, I sure hope you’re reading this, LOL).  However, this can work against us middleborns as we often don’t stand our ground as firmly as we should since we’re conflict avoiders.  Tim and I make good matches since I’m a middleborn with a blend of firstborn and middleborn qualities and he’s the baby in his family.  I’m proud to say that we’ll have made it to 15 years of marriage on August 25, 2016.  It hasn’t always been an easy road for us, but marriage is worth fighting for, especially when it’s rooted in God’s love. In spite of our struggles, I'd still marry Tim all over again if I could; there's no doubt in my mind that we're stronger now as a couple than we've ever been.

Anyhow, I highly recommend this book as it provides insight not only to yourself, but it helps you better understand others.  I didn't mean to give a book report, but it's a rarity for me to find the time to read a book cover to cover.  Furthermore, Dr. Leman puts a Christian spin on everything (although still sticking with the facts), which is always spiritually uplifting.  Aside from putting “The Birth Order Book” as a must-read on your to-do list before summer ends, be sure to just simply have fun in the Son. “Fun in the Son” has been FOEC’s motto for the summer.  That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to travel to a beach, go to a theme park, or wade in a pool…rather, just soak up the “Son’s” rays and blessings in every day living and don’t take the simple things in life for granted.